The Wild make a decision on pending UFA Michael McCarron

UPDATE: It's now official. The Wild have signed McCarron to a six year contract extension worth $3.33 million per season.

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reports that McCarron has a full no-trade and no-movement clause for the entirety of the contract.

Wow... that's quite the contract for a 31 year old who scored just nine goals and 17 points last season. GM Bill Guerin... what are you doing?

According to a report this morning from NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, the Minnesota Wild are closing in on an contract extension for pending unrestricted free agent Michael McCarron.

McCarron’s NHL career has been a story of perseverance, adaptation, and carving out a valuable role at hockey’s highest level. Selected 25th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2013 NHL Draft, McCarron entered professional hockey carrying significant expectations. Standing 6-foot-6 and weighing well over 230 pounds, the Michigan native was viewed as a potential power forward capable of bringing size, toughness, and offensive upside to Montreal’s lineup.

After developing with the OHL’s London Knights and spending time in the American Hockey League, McCarron made his NHL debut with Montreal during the 2015-16 season. However, his path to becoming a full-time NHL player proved challenging. While he showed flashes of the physical, hard-nosed game that made him a first-round pick, consistent offensive production never materialized at the NHL level. Over parts of five seasons with the Canadiens organization, McCarron bounced between the NHL and AHL, appearing in 69 games with Montreal before being traded in January 2020.

That trade to the Nashville Predators ultimately revitalized his career. In Nashville, McCarron embraced a different role than the one originally envisioned when he was drafted. Rather than focusing on offensive production, he developed into a reliable bottom-six center known for his physical play, faceoff ability, penalty killing, and willingness to stand up for teammates. His size and toughness made him a valuable depth player, and he gradually established himself as a regular NHL contributor.

The 2021-22 season marked a breakthrough as McCarron set career highs in games played, goals, assists, and points. He continued to grow into one of Nashville’s most trusted role players, earning contract extensions and becoming a fan favorite for his work ethic and physical presence. During the 2025-26 season, he posted 12 points in 59 games while leading the Predators in hits before being dealt to the Minnesota Wild ahead of the trade deadline. The move highlighted how highly NHL teams value his unique skill set, with Minnesota surrendering a second-round pick to acquire him for a playoff push.

While McCarron never developed into the top-six power forward many expected when he was drafted, he has nevertheless built a successful NHL career. More than a decade after hearing his name called in the first round, he remains a respected veteran whose size, toughness, leadership, and versatility continue to make him an effective NHL role player.